Road Test :: Quinoa

Ok, so I've heard a lot about this little superfood, especially on Me Vs The Bulge. I do love my oats in the morning, especially when it's cold outside but like some other unlucky others, I find that I feel quite bloated and yuck afterwards (sad panda). So I decided to give quinoa a go!! 

Wikipedia tells me that quinoa is a species of goosefoot (Chenopodium), is a grain-like crop grown primarily for its edible seeds. It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal, or grain, as it is not a member of the grass family. As a chenopod, quinoa is closely related to species such as beets, spinach, and tumbleweeds Mmmm tumbleweeds :P

Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it a complete protein source. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest.

Wiki goes on to tell me that it can be used as a substitute for pasta, white or brown rice, couscous, oats, AND it can be used in salads, AND its flour can be used in wheat and gluten free baking - it sure is a super food!! 

So after reading all of this jargon, I was really hoping that I would like it, given its health benefits!

I found it in the health aisle at my trusty local Coles, and noticed that it comes in either a little-ball-looking version, or a flake version (looks really similar to oats). I picked up both lol as I wasn't really sure which one was better... 

Yesterday morning, after my sprint/jog workout, where I worked up enough appetite to eat a horse, I threw the quinoa in the microwave and after my shower, it was all ready for me to eat! The kitchen had a distinctive nutty smell to it - I had read that quinoa has a nutty flavour - so far so good! 

I scooped some of the cooked little balls into my bowl, messily chopped half a banana on top, added a few spoonfuls of organic yoghurt and drizzled with a bit of honey. I did forget to take a picture of mine, but thanks to google, here is what the breakfast could look like (mine wasn't quite that pretty lol) 

And hallelujah - I loveddddd it!!!!!! I will definitely be grabbing quinoa more frequently as my go-to breakfast!!! 

Stay fabulous x

Pic from here

EDIT: I tried quinoa with my chicken & veggie stir fry last night, replacing brown rice and it was delish!!! Also, I noticed that I wasn't peckish for sweet snacks after our dinner, like I am most nights, so not sure if that was quinoa-related, but it made me happy :)
I will definitely be re-purchasing this super food!! 


Also, this is the beautiful sunrise that greeted me before I sweat my pants off yesterday morning :)  What a glorious start to the day!